On October 26th at 5 pm MST, AMGA President Angela Hawse will be presenting with Protect Out Winters on her experiences with climate change, how they are affecting the mountain guiding community and industry, and why this is a motivator for her get out the vote. With near-thirty years of experience guiding clients and embarking on expeditions across the globe, there are few that can offer the perspective n the present dangers of climate change in the mountains than Hawse. We invite you to join in to hear her perspective on Monday. And, if you can’t make it, we still encourage you to act this November, and get out the vote!
(CNN) — Former White House chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, has told friends that President Donald Trump “is the most flawed person” he’s ever known.
“The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it’s more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” the retired Marine general has told friends, CNN has learned.The reporting comes from a new CNN special scheduled to air Sunday night, “The Insiders: A Warning from Former Trump Officials,” in which former senior administration officials — including former national security adviser John Bolton, former Health and Human Services scientist Rick Bright and former Department of Homeland Security general counsel John Mitnick — explain why they think the President is unfit for office.
Kelly’s sentiments about the President’s transactional nature and dishonesty have been shared by other former members of the Trump administration who also appear in the special. Olivia Troye, a former top adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, has said the President knew about the impact the coronavirus pandemic would have on the US by mid-February, but that “he didn’t want to hear it, because his biggest concern was that we were in an election year.” Miles Taylor, a former DHS chief of staff who now serves as a CNN contributor, has assertedTrump essentially calls individuals within the federal government who disagree with him “deep state.”
Elizabeth Neumann, another former DHS official, had criticized Trump for not condemning White supremacy after the first presidential debate in September.
“The fact that he continues to not be able to just point-blank say, ‘I condemn White supremacy.’ It boggles the mind,” she told CNN at the time.
Trump did say on Thursday during a town hall on NBC that he condemned White supremacy. “I denounce White supremacy, OK?,” Trump told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. “I’ve denounced White supremacy for years.”
The President sometimes is successfully cajoled to condemn White supremacists, but often — such as in the first presidential debate — seems reluctant do so, perhaps so as to not alienate any potential votes.Kelly, who left the White House under contentious circumstances in January 2019, has occasionally voiced criticisms of the Trump administration since leaving his post.In June, in the wake of George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police and Trump’s response to the subsequent protests and calls for racial justice, Kelly said he agreed with former Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis’ stark warning that Trump is “the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people.” Kelly said he would have cautioned Trump against the idea of using law enforcement to clear Lafayette Square of protesters ahead of the President’s now infamous photo op in front of a nearby church. Kelly also defended retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman for raising concerns about the President’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — the call at the heart of the President’s impeachment. And Kelly has said he believes Bolton’s allegation that Trump conditioned US security aid to Ukraine on an investigation into political rivals. Kelly has said that before he left the White House, he cautioned Trump: “Don’t hire a ‘yes man,’ someone who won’t tell you the truth. … Because if you do, I believe you will be impeached.”
Since Kelly’s departure, the White House and the President have maintained that the former general wasn’t cut out for his job in the West Wing.
“When I terminated John Kelly, which I couldn’t do fast enough, he knew full well that he was way over his head,” Trump tweeted in February. “Being Chief of Staff just wasn’t for him. He came in with a bang, went out with a whimper, but like so many X’s, he misses the action & just can’t keep his mouth shut.”
This mailout from the so-called “Integrity Project” arrived in mailboxes yesterday. The Republican propaganda machine produced the list of lies below.
This cabal, which supposedly cares about “transparency,” largely has anonymous donors, as reported in their filing with the Secretary of State.
Luckily, our own mailout (below) arrived in most Ouray County mailboxes yesterday as well.But we are asking for your help in delivering our message door to door in the towns of Ridgway and Ouray.
Can you volunteer an hour or two to walk door-to-door and leave one of our flyers at each house? NO knocking on doors or personal interaction is required. Reply to this email, and we will give you flyers like the one belowand which neighborhood to walk.
Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner participates in the final debate in the 2020 race for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020.
The Republican incumbent declared Roe v. Wade “settled law” as his Democratic rival expressed concern about packing the Supreme Court
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said he believes the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade protecting a woman’s right to an abortion and a ruling affirming a same-sex couple’s right to marriage are settled law.
“Both cases are settled law … and that precedent should be respected,” Gardner said.
The Republican incumbent’s comments in the final U.S. Senate debate Tuesday came even as he labeled himself “pro-life” and expressed support for a 2020 ballot measure in Colorado that limits abortions by prohibiting the procedure after 22 weeks of pregnancy.
His Democratic rival, John Hickenlooper, once again refused to directly answer a question about whether he supported expanding the size of the Supreme Court to lessen the influence of Republican appointees. The former governor previously said he was “open” to the move but allowed that he’s not a fan of the concept. “I don’t like the idea of court packing,” he said.
“I think if you get new people in Washington, you won’t have to do that kind of institutional change,” he added.
Gardner supports the Republican-led U.S. Senate’s efforts to fill the court vacancy days before the election, despite the fact that he took the opposite stance when President Barack Obama nominated a pick in 2016. Hickenlooper said the chamber’s leaders should instead focus on passing additional coronavirus relief and economic stimulus legislation, rather than working to “rush through this Supreme Court nomination.”
The two candidates delineated clear differences on a range of issues in the hour-long televised debate hosted by 9News, Colorado Politics and The Coloradoan at the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins.
The contest is key to determining which party will control the U.S. Senate, and earlier in the day, a newly released Morning Consult poll showed that Hickenlooper held a 10 percentage point advantage against Gardner, 50% to 40%, according to the survey conducted Oct. 2-11.
A month ago, just before Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, a poll from Morning Consult found the race at a statistical tie with Hickenlooper at 46% and Gardner at 44%. But the newer numbers show Ginsburg’s death only galvanized support for the Democrat.
Jessica Taylor, a national analyst at the Cook Political Report, said Ginsburg’s death and the Supreme Court vacancy “sends people to their partisan corners.” She said the abortion issue is one that positions Gardner “really far and away from where Colorado voters are.”
“Clearly Colorado is a state that is moving away from Republicans — we saw that in 2018 and 2016 as well, and on social issues it’s far more progressive,” said Taylor, who spoke at an election forum hosted by the University of Denver’s Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research ahead of the debate.
Here’s a look at the other battle lines in from the final debate before the Nov. 3 election:
The debate began with Gardner and Hickenlooper tussling over coronavirus and the federal response to the pandemic.
Hickenlooper accused Gardner of not making the passage of a new stimulus package a priority, instead focusing on pushing through Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. “Cory can just say I will not vote to support this thing — this Supreme Court nominee — if indeed the relief act doesn’t get passed first,” he said.
Then Gardner criticized Hickenlooper for not supporting a scaled-back aid bill put forward by Senate Republican leaders last month. “We can’t afford to have someone who refuses to support the people of Colorado in the Senate,” Gardner said.
Hickenlooper has said the legislation didn’t go far enough and wasn’t a real effort at helping Americans weather COVID-19. But then he said he supported a scaled-back bill not loaded down with partisan amendments, saying Republicans and Democrats are at fault for the gridlock.
A Yes vote for Amendment B would repeal the Gallagher Amendment to the Colorado Constitution. The Gallagher Amendment currently requires residential property taxes to equal 45% of the total share of property taxes and nonresidential property taxes to equal 55%, but non-residential property has to stay at 29% of the total collected property tax, so residential property taxes fluctuate. Got it? I know! Super confusing!!
In Colorado, the value of home prices has been going up faster than the value of nonresidential property. That has led the tax assessment rate for homes to drop over time, meaning homeowners often see lower property tax bills after each two-year reassessment cycle.
When the Gallagher Amendment was adopted in 1982, 21% of the value of a home was taxed. The current tax assessment rate for residential property is 7.15%.This has meant mostly a decrease in residential property tax over the years since Gallagher went into effect. That might sound good, but because of that, the state government, counties, municipalities, and many small districts such as local fire departments and libraries are not able to maintain current levels of important services due to ever decreasing revenue levels. Gallagher is bad for Colorado. Finally we have a chance to repeal it.
Amendment C Changes charitable gaming license requirements
Yes
Nonprofits must be in existence for five years before they can get a bingo-raffle license. Amendment C could cut that to three years.
It’s puzzling why this is in our constitution, but it is. Amendment C is the only ballot measure this year that requires more than a simple majority to pass. It requires a 55% Yes vote to pass.
Amendment 76 Only a citizen of the us can vote
NO
Would remove the right of a citizen to participate in voting in a primary if they will turn 18 before the next general election. Let’s continue the practice of allowing young people to get involved in shaping the world that they will inherit! It won’t affect very many people: only those who turn 18 between the primary and the general election on presidential election years.
Amendment 77 Allows specific cities to vote to expand gaming and bet limits
Yes
Let the folks in those towns vote to decide if they want betting limits.
No mention is made about the effect of this amendment on Southwest Colorado’s tribal casinos, but past legal interpretations have found any loosening of state law on gaming for the Central City, Black Hawk and Cripple Creek casinos also applies to the tribal casinos.
Proposition EE Increases taxes on tobacco and vaping for education and health
YES
A Yes vote for Proposition EE would raise taxes by up to $294 million annually by imposing a tax on nicotine liquids, e-cigarettes and other vaping products that is equal to the state tax on traditional tobacco products. The tax would be phased in incrementally.
If Colorado imposes taxes for cigarettes, it is fair that similar products also be taxed. The new taxes would fund preschool programs, rural schools, K-12 education, affordable housing, rental assistance, eviction legal assistance, health care programs, general state spending on tobacco education programs.
Proposition 113 Joins National popular Vote Interstate Compact
YES
Gives Colorado the ability to give all its nine electoral votes to the candidate winning the most votes in the US. If Colorado becomes a member of the NPVIC and if the compact goes into effect, Colorado will give all nine of its Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate winning the most votes nationwide (the winner of the national popular vote.) Currently, Colorado’s nine Electoral College votes must go to the presidential candidate receiving the most votes in Colorado.
The compact would go into effect only if states representing 270 Electoral College votes adopt it. Currently, 14 states and Washington, D.C. – 187 Electoral College votes total – have passed legislation to join the compact. We’re getting close! Let’s add Colorado to the tally.
Yesterday, for the first time in its 60-year existence, Surfer Magazine officially endorsed a Presidential candidate.
As you might imagine, the post received a mixed response from the internet (we won’t get into that shitshow here).
This is the Instagram post:
The caption reads:
“Keep politics out of surfing” is a common refrain on social media these days, but the fact is the decisions made in the political realm have tremendous influence over our surfing lives and the health of our coasts. And as our window to prevent the worst outcomes from climate change closes, its more important now than ever to vote like the future of surfing depends on it.
That’s why, for the first time in Surfer’s 60-year history, we’re endorsing a presidential ticket.’
Today, it has been reported that Surfer’s entire staff was furloughed by its parent company, American Media, and that the magazine has been temporarily shut down.
As in, Surfer Magazine, the “Bible of our sport”, is no more, for now.
Some backstory.
About a year and a half ago, we reported that Surfer Magazine had cut half of its staff in anticipation of a corporate takeover. The original parent company (The Enthusiast Network) was selling all of its various media entities to American Media, and part of that deal included trimming the staff that worked in their Carlsbad HQ.
So who is American Media? Well, as of August 2020, they’re now called A360Media—sister company of Accelerate 360, a distribution giant that deals in just about everything, but specializes these days in products like face masks and hand sanitizers.
According to the ‘About me’ tab on AMI’s (aka A360Media’s) prehistoric landing page: “(AMI) owns and operates the leading celebrity and health & fitness media brands in the country. Our magazines have a combined total circulation of 2.3+ million and reach 47+ million men and women each month. Our digital properties reach a total of 60+ million unique visitors and 762+ million page views monthly.”
Some of AMI’s major titles include Men’s Journal, Us Weekly, In Touch, plus action sports labels Bike, Powder, Snowboarder, TW Skate, and of course, Surfer.
Up until April 2019, AMI owned the National Enquirer.
We know that the August issue of their quarterly magazine was clipped as far back as a month ago, which was perhaps indicative of end times. However, people inside the staff might have assumed the title would go completely digital rather than being shut down.
This would imply that yesterday’s political post involved a great level of risk for the entire staff, and perhaps influenced AMI’s decision to kill the brand.
Another possibility is that Editor in Chief Todd Prodanovich knew AMI was going to shut down Surfer and used the Instagram post as a pre-mortem mic drop. Like, “If Surfer is going to die, it’s going out with a bang.”
In fairness to Todd and crew, yesterday’s endorsement was more a public crystallization of their long-standing brand values than it was a groundbreaking political statement. Anybody who’s read Surfer’s site/mag for the past five years knew exactly what they stood for, and it certainly wasn’t Trump.
Regardless of what the Surfer staff did or didn’t know regarding their termination (and how that related to their publishing of an official Presidential endorsement), we’ve heard from an inside source that the Surfer brand was slated to be extinguished no matter what, and that it was purely by chance that this culling coincided with yesterday’s post….however unlikely that may seem.
It’s also rumored that another wave of AMI layoffs and brand terminations will occur in late November. Titles such as Powder, TW Skate, Snowboarder etc. could be on the chopping block.
Less speculative info will filter in over the coming days, but “American Media don’t play,” a source tells Stab.
In the meantime, we’d just like to say RIP to Surfer Magazine, and to thank them for everything the storied mag cataloged.
Linda Ronstadt in the documentary Linda and the Mockingbirds. Ronstadt is set to be honored in the Legend category by the Hispanic Heritage Awards.PCH Films
Linda Ronstadt — the chart-topping, Grammy- and Emmy-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Famer — is due to be honored again this week. This time, she’ll receive a Hispanic Heritage Award, in recognition both of her pop music and her smash-hit mariachi albums. Ahead of the virtual ceremony, which will be broadcast by PBS on Oct. 6, she joined NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro to talk about the role of her Mexican-American identity in her career and what music she’s been listening to lately. Hear their conversation at the audio link, and read on for an edited transcript.
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Lulu Garcia-Navarro: A lot people didn’t realize that you have roots in Mexico until you released your mariachi albums in the late 1980s. How much of an influence did those roots have on your singing?
Tremendous. The singer that had the most influence on my singing style was Lola Beltrán, who is sort of the Piaf of Mexico. You know, Mexican culture is often so taken for granted it’s sort of invisible in the United States — it’s hard to get through that screen. It wasn’t anything that I hid, but it was not as acknowledged as whatever else they were acknowledging.
My vocal style is very influenced by Mexican singing — it’s a belt style. I wasn’t influenced by blues or [the] Black church as much as most rock and roll people were. I was much more influenced by Mexican music singers and rhythms.
It’s now been seven years since you announced that you had Parkinson’s, but you’ve been busy lately. You’re featured in an upcoming documentary called Linda and the Mockingbirds.
I had planned to take this trip with this cultural group that I work with called Los Cenzontles. They teach young children from the ages of 6 to 19 how to play traditional Mexican music, how to play the instruments, sing and dance, and they also teach visual art. It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been involved with; I’ve been working with them for almost 30 years now. They teach children to play music, not to be in performing fields but to use it socially, to express their emotions and to communicate with each other. And the kids that come out of that program have a much better chance of finishing high school, there’s fewer teen pregnancies, more people go to college and finish. Some of them turn out to be really great professional musicians, [but] that’s not the goal. The goal is to teach them how to have tools to socialize in a way that connects back to their original culture with pride and dignity.
We had a film crew going with us to Mexico, because they were trying to get the end of [a different] documentary they were making about me. Somebody else, I guess, was cooperating with it and they wanted to have an interview. And I said, “If you want an interview, you have to come to Mexico and interview me there.” I figured it would be more fun to do that than sit in my living room and be a talking head
You’ve been working with that group for about 30 years. Why is it so important for you to connect with your heritage in that way?
Well, I grew up in the Sonoran Desert, which is an area that exists on both sides of the border. In fact, my family was in that part of the world before this was a country, so to say that we’re newcomers is a bit of a stretch. Even here in California, my family came here in ’70, ’69. So, you know, I resent anybody saying, “Go back where you came from.” It’s been easier for me because I’m light-skinned and I have a German surname, so I’m sort of a secret Mexican-American. Some people don’t realize who they’re talking to, and they start making racist remarks.
Has that happened to you?
Oh, yeah. To my father too. He’d be at a cocktail party and somebody would start saying, “These Mexicans that come in here,” … or some ethnic slur. It’s not a good thing to do to my dad.
How would he react?
Well he’s very stern. He’d put up with no racist talk.
You must have inherited some of his outspokenness. Last year, during a dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors, you very famously took Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to task for “enabling” President Trump. What happened after that? Were there any after-effects?
Chief Justice Roberts came to my box about the following night with Nancy Pelosi and was full of praise — not about that specific thing, but in general. And he sent me, then, an autographed picture of himself and the two of us together. So they couldn’t have been too mad [laughs].
What music is getting you through this moment? You know, often in times of difficulty, people gravitate to certain types of music or particular songs that give them comfort. Do you have any of those?
I listen to opera a lot on YouTube. I love it because I can hear one soprano singing an aria from La Traviata, and then I can hear five other ones from different times, from Rosa Ponselle to Maria Callas to Anna Netrebko. It’s fun to be able to compare them. But recently, I reinstalled my turntable and got my vinyl albums out, and I put on Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. It was a revelation. Brian Wilson is a genius; I love his music. It cheered me up.
Do you have a big vinyl collection?
No, I have only about 10 records. I gave up all my vinyl when CDs became so ubiquitous, but I never thought they sounded as good as vinyl. So I just got a couple of vinyl pressings of some classic things that I like. Rubber Soul. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, which is a perfect record. Blue by Joni Mitchell, which is another perfect record. Graceland by Paul Simon — all of his records are great, but I’m fond of that one because I sang on it.
Is it true you’ve discovered a new favorite of yours through NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series?
Oh, the South Korean band! What are they called? SsingSsing, I love them!
Tell me why.
They sound like traditional Korean singing, [mixed] with David Bowie, in a garage band. They’re totally original; I love them.
Do you have a message for the Latino community at this time since, this is a Hispanic Heritage Award?
Well, keep your powder dry and keep fighting. You know, there’s a lot of abuses by ICE in the jails, and the private prison corporations are taking advantage of the fact that they can lock people up for long periods of time with utter neglect. The fact that they’re locking children up in cages and separating them from their families, it’s just cruel beyond words. It’s such a disgrace. People are in the streets rioting — not rioting but they’re demonstrating in the streets. They have to keep demonstrating.
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